The Proof Record
by Faith Altoire
Summary: Document I:"…Tell me…how…how much you love me…"  Post COS AU, Non-yaoi
1. Chapter 1

**The Proof Record**

**Document I: ****How much?**

The door slammed shut with a loud crash as Alphonse struggled to lead his injured brother into their old London apartment, trying desperately to ignore the trailing blood behind him. He ever so gently laid the shivering boy down on the soft bed, and frantically tried to remove the bloodstained jacket and once white shirt from him. Cold hands brushed the skin of his forearm and he felt them shake as his brother coughed slightly, streams of red sliding down ashen cheeks. "Al-Alphonse?" Edward choked out, struggling to breathe and a soft panic filled his dimmed golden orbs as he bit his lip to stop more coughs from being released. Alphonse placed a hand to the side of the elder boys face and smiled lightly down at him, as he avoided looking at the wound he was now applying pressure to. "Shh…" He cooed, caressing the damp cheek. "I'm right here, Nii-san. It's going to be okay." He then leaned forward pressing his lips gently to his brother's forehead. "You'll be fine. Officer Hughes is going to get a Doctor, and then you'll be fine." The boy swallowed the lump forming in his throat as he thought of what had led them into this situation and what might happen if the detective did not make it in time."…I'll take care of you…okay?"

_The police car was going __way too fast for it to be legal, but considering that it __**was**__ a police car Alphonse couldn't find it in himself to tell the driver that. He and his brother were sitting atop the vehicle, trying to get a good look at the equally speeding car in front of them, as Officer Hughes tailed behind it. They had been working on a case with Hughes, which had been the norm ever since Alphonse had decided to stay with Edward on this side of the gate, and were excited to have finally caught the criminals that had been giving them the slip for a little over a month now. They were terrorists, nothing the brothers hadn't handled before. A bunch of gun-toting extremists who thought they could get their point across by bombing train stations and holding children hostage. Amestris had their fair share of idiots like them too, only here in London they seemed even more ridiculous, with their foolish plans and petty arguments amongst themselves. It was almost funny to the alchemist brothers who had faced psychopathic maniacs and demons that wouldn't die since they were the tender ages of six and five. The criminals in front of them were as good as bagged, there was no way they were going to escape when they had the Fullmetal Alchemist and his little brother right on their tails ready to trap them at a moment's notice._

_It had never once occurred to them__ that __**they**__ could be the ones trapped._

_They hadn't known the terrorists had accomplices who were at that__ very moment tailing them as they were doing to their leaders. One minute they were on the verge of victory, then suddenly all hell broke loose. It had been Edward who had first noticed them, acknowledging their presence with a curse. Out of nowhere a shot rang out and before he knew what was happening, Alphonse felt strong arms wrap themselves around him and he was pulled from the moving vehicle just as it was slowing down. He hit the pavement hard, with familiar warmth still surrounding him. "W-what happened?" He heard himself say, but his mind and sight were completely drawn only to the liquid red that was slowly pooling around him. "Edward! Alphonse!" He heard Officer Hughes yell from what sounded like miles away. Slightly sore and dizzy, he slowly turned his head and a fear like nothing he had ever experienced in his life filled his entire soul at what he saw._

_Edward lay beside him, arms still wrapped protectively around the smaller boy, with blood, blood as red as the setting sun staining the bottom half of his white shirt. He smiled crookedly at Alphonse, that same, familiar grin that always somehow warmed and reassured the younger boy; now only led him to panic further as more of that dreaded crimson liquid leaked from in between paling lips. "Hey…" The older boy whispered, as he reached a shaking hand to the others face. "…are you alright?" The tears came freely at that and Alphonse struggled to sit up fast in order to see the extent of the damage to his brother. Hughes was already by their side, he had sent his partner Jules for backup, and was now kneeling down and placing his jacket over the spot where the bullet had pierced Edward's flesh. "Damnit, those bastards got away. When I get my hands on them…they'll pay for this big time. " He muttered and Alphonse was holding his brother, pulling him into his lap and running frantic fingers through mussed golden locks. "What do we do? He's hurt—there's-there's blood everywhere!" He asked, voice barely reaching above a whisper but his hysteric tones reached Hughes as the man stood and looked around desperately. _

_It had been complete irony and sheer dumb luck that they had conveniently landed before the tall, six-story apartment building the brothers had been living in for nearly a year now. There were people peeking through windows, afraid to leave the safety of their homes for fear of the terrorists' wrath, but those who knew the officer and the Elrics, had concern filtered through their faces and shone deep in their eyes, but even so they still made no move to exit and help them. Hughes turned back to the two boys and spoke hurriedly, forcing Alphonse to stand whilst shouldering the semi-conscious Edward with him. "Get up stairs, quickly." He said, ushering the boys through the glass door. "Lay him down and keep pressure on the wound. I'm going to get a doctor and bring him here." _

_Alphonse__ opened his mouth to speak, to object, to tell the man he couldn't do it, don't make him do it, don't make him sit around as the most important person in his life faded away while he could do nothing to help, but the officer quieted him. "It's going to be fine. Just do as I told you, and wait for us, okay….and whatever you do, keep him awake. He's going to want to sleep, but don't let him, please." The boy nodded, tears still brimming in his eyes, and he shook his brother slightly, desperate for a sign of consciousness, relaxing when the older boy released a soft groan. Hughes turned and ran into his car, speeding down the street faster than before as Alphonse carried his brother into the building…_

Edward smiled weakly up at his younger brother, grasping the boy's small hand in his own and squeezing slightly. Alphonse felt his heart race as his brother's eyes slid close, and he pulled his hand away, shaking the elder boy lightly. "Nii-san, no! You mustn't go to sleep!" He begged, water filling the edges of his vision, as he buried his face into his brothers shoulder. "…I'm…I'm awake…" Edward whispered faintly, resting his chin on top of Alphonse's head. "I…I'm just…really tired…" There was a long silence that seemed to stretch for eons, only broken by ragged breaths and muffled sobs. "N-nii-san?" Alphonse finally stammered out and the elder boy hummed in response. "Will you…Tell me…tell me about mom?" He whispered, lifting his head to look his brother in the eye. Edward raised an eyebrow, eyes glazed and skin as pale as moonlight. "Mom?" He asked, and the other boy nodded, smiling feebly. "Yes…you see…" He laid his head back down. "I've…I've forgotten…it's been so long and I can't seem to really remember… things…"

"…Like what?" Alphonse chewed on his bottom lip and moved to lie beside his brother, turning him slightly, so they lay face to face, but his hand still pressed firmly against the bleeding wound. "…Little things…like how she smelled, what she looked like…It's been so long and I…I can't remember the way you do."

Edward smiled, running a trembling hand through his little brother's golden-brown locks. "…Hm…" He began, eyes staring off into the distance. "She was…she was beautiful, the prettiest woman in town. Everyone thought so, she was thin, but it was a good thin with…rosy cheeks and long hair… and…Her hair was brown…more of a light chestnut color and it was soft to touch. She loved brushing it and…sometimes she'd let us do it for her, remember?" Alphonse smiled sadly, yes, he did…he remembered those days, when they would be caught watching Trisha as she ran her antique, porcelain comb through her long, russet curls. She would smile when she caught sight of her boys and beckon them over, often or not she would allow them each a turn to brush her silken locks. He remembered the feel of them. Her smile and laughter as they fought over whom would go next…the glimmer of happiness in her eyes…

"…her eyes…you…" Edward gasped a bit, struggling to continue and Alphonse looked up in frightened concern as the elder boy grasped the sheets tightly beneath him. "…you have her eyes…you have a lot of things of her…I'm… I'm more like dad…" He muttered bitterly. "…you're a lot like her…so much…" Edwards smile turned peaceful, a calm aura falling upon his features. "You were always like her…it's good…nice…sometimes, like she isn't gone really…" Alphonse nodded in understanding, pressing closer to the comforting warmth of the other beside him. He was glad, glad that he could remind his big brother who worked and lived so hard for him, of the one person they both loved and missed so much. They didn't have many happy memories in their lives after she died it seemed, but being with each other through the bad times always made it seem as if their mother were still there, loving and caring for them. "Nii-san shouldn't say that. He is very much like mom too… He is… kind and strong…and…" He brought his hand forward to trace the older boys' lips softly. "Nii-san has her smile. It makes the world just a little a warmer; it does…when you smile." And then it seemed that Edward could not help but smile against his fingertips and it made Alphonse smile back, despite the situation, the blood and the tears that still threatened to fall, because that smile was for him and he loved his brother's smile so much. "…Tell me more." He whispered, grasping the elder boys hand tightly in his own for a second time. Edward released a choked out laugh and began to speak once more, weaving tales of memories long obscured by the sands of time.

They talked of their mother and their small home town of Resembul, of the cows, the fields and the children they had grown up with. They shared comedic tales of their escapades with their best friend Winry, through the forests and riversides by their home and then…then when they had run out of happy stories to tell…they spoke of their mother's death, the taboo they had committed afterwards, and the military, the friends they left behind and the home they could never return to. All the while the clock ticked and they lay there, hand in hand together as they had all their lives, it must have been at least an hour since Hughes had gone off to find the good doctor. Alphonse knew it must have, and although he couldn't blame the man for anything that happened tonight he found himself agitated at his tardiness. His brother was _dying_ for Heaven's sake! He must have bled out half his body weight by now and he was pale, so pale it wasn't right. Alphonse could feel him slipping away, drifting from him as he desperately tried to hold on. Edward was so tired, all he wanted to do was rest, he knew that, but he couldn't let him sleep. If he let him close his eyes he'd never open them again. He would lose him and…oh, he never wanted to lose him, ever. He was all he had and even though he knew he should be capable of doing so at his age…with all that he had been through…he couldn't _live_ without him. He couldn't let go…he couldn't.

But they had run out of things to say and Alphonse didn't know any other way to keep his brother tied to this world. Edward was fading, his hand loosening against the smaller boy's and on impulse Alphonse squeezed on to it tighter. "…Alphonse…" His brother mumbled slightly, gaze drifting in and out of focus. The younger boy swallowed, tears rising anew, building up like tidal waves to a dam and he lifted the hand in his own to lean his cheek against it. "Nii-san…" Alphonse paused, tongue licking suddenly dry lips. "Tell me…" He breathed lightly against pale knuckles, and slowly slid his eyelids close, tears threatening to escape all over again. "…Tell me…how…how much you love me…" For a moment, there was no response and Alphonse feared his brother had already gone and left him, not needing to shut his eyes in order to shut out the world…but then… the golden eyes shifted into concentration, focusing themselves on the sliver orbs across from them and Edward's hand tightened in response. "…I…I... love you… so much…so damn much…" He answered voice weak and muted, yet resolute in its own way. "…more than the sky, more than the sun…more than life itself…more than anything…"He trailed off; his eyes drifting close again and fingers unwinding.

Alphonse too shut his eyes, knowing there was nothing left to say, but happy he was able to hear those words before his world tumbled off its axis forever. There was a never ending silence in the room broken only by the crashing sounds of pounding footsteps and slamming doors that could be heard from floors below. _Too late…it was all too late… _Alphonse wanted to die, he wanted the pain to go away, just float away to where his mother was, and his father, and now where Edward was too…he just wanted it all to end, before the reality sank in and he finally realized that his brother was gone, killed while protecting him…but a soft voice rose above all that noise to reach the sobbing boy's ears, breaking the solid barrier of his cryptic thoughts and piercing his still beating heart.

"…Tell me…" The voice mumbled, barely audible. "…tell…me…How much…how much you… love me?" Sliver eyes widened in surprised and the boy turned to meet the soft questioning look on his brother's face. Alive, Edward was still _alive_. He was still with him. He wasn't alone. The tears ran freely down his cheeks as he gingerly pressed their foreheads together and held Edward close. "I…" He gasped the sound of footsteps coming closer and he found hope flooding through him as the distinct arguing voices of Officer Hughes and other men could be heard.

"…more than anything, more than life, than alchemy, then the sky, anything!" Alphonse whispered into the others ear. "I love you. I love you. I love you…so, please, stay with me…please don't leave me… I love you so much…" He cried kissing his brother firmly on a cold cheek and gently laying him down to rest back on the bed. Edward was smiling at him, and struggled to reach a hand to wipe the tears soaking his little brothers' face away. "…Okay…"

The door opened at that moment to reveal a face that Alphonse had assumed he would never see again in this lifetime. Standing at the doorway before him was Officer Hughes, but he was not the reason Alphonse was currently kneeling on the bed in shock, eyes wide and hand leaving his brother to momentarily point at the individual that stood beside the detective. He was a relatively tall man, dressed in black slacks and a gray turtle-neck sweater worn under a white smock, that and the hospital bag he held were clues to the fact that he must have been the doctor Hughes had gone to get…but that face, the short cut dark hair, the obsidian eyes, the confidant stance he stood in as if he knew exactly what he was doing, all the time, and because of that he commanded all respect and loyalty…there was no doubt about it. "General?" Alphonse found himself whispering before he could think less of it. The man raised an eyebrow, exchanging a questioning glance with Hughes, who shrugged, before taking a step towards the two boys and leaning over to examine Edward as he spoke. "…I am Doctor James Roy Mustang but, you may call me Roy or James I don't particularly care and that…" He motioned to a small group of people who were now entering the room, equipment in hand. "…is my crew."

Alphonse sighed in dejection, moving slightly so the doctor could see his brother's wound better. He should have known…of course this wasn't their Mustang, their General, the man who had almost single handedly saved their lives on countless occasions and gave them a home and father figure to look up to the majority of their lives. He was simply the parallel that was born to this world, of course that meant this Roy shared a soul with the Roy back in Amestris…it didn't make them the same person really, but at the core, the very root of it all, they were identical. In theory, he was no more or less their Mustang as Hughes was their Hughes. The boy looked around at the bustling figures of Mustangs team, both hoping and dreading to see another familiar face…but he found none. It seemed in this world the people who worked for him were very different individuals than the ones back home.

_Mustang the procrastin__ator, Hughes the doting father, Havoc the laid back chain smoker, the teasing tactician Breda, the kind techie Fuery, Falman the walking encyclopedia, the overly enthusiastic Major Armstrong, always on the bright side Bloch, Sheizka the pretty librarian he had a crush on, the motherly Ross, strict Hawkeye…_

_Not to mention Winry, Granny Pinako and all their other friends back home._

He missed them, he missed them very much.

The boy looked back down towards his brother who had his face scrunched up in pain. At that moment he wanted nothing more than to take it away from him, to at the very least, stay by his side with a gentle hand holding his own and soft, loving words from his lips, but he was very quickly and quite startlingly pulled from the bed and ushered out the room by a rather flushed faced Officer Hughes. When the door shut behind him on the scene of the flurry of movement that hovered over his brothers bloodied body, Alphonse wanted to scream, to rush back and break the door from its hinges if it meant being with Edward…but he controlled himself, knowing there was nothing left that he could do and he allowed Hughes to lead him to a small chair at the end of the hall to sit.

For what seemed like ages he sat there, arms wrapped around his legs and face buried deeply into his knees as a series of loud noises echoed from where Dr. Mustang was working on his brother.

"_We need to stop the bleeding!"_

But it should have stopped ages ago…how much more blood could he afford to lose?

"…_keep him still Damnit! We need that bullet out!"_

There was another heart wrenching scream from inside the room. It was still in him? Alphonse shivered at that thought. He's in pain. Can't they do something for him?

"…_the morphine you dumb ass! We need to calm him down! Where are those syringes?"_

Alphonse sat up at that particular shout from the doctor and looked towards the door. Pain killers were good, they'd help his Nii-san…they'd make the hurt go away, but Edward was terrified of needles. He couldn't stand them. It was a full blown phobia developed through years of traumatizing experiments, adding on to the fact that he had to undergo the complex and strenuous series of surgeries for automail at the young age of eleven. The boy clenched his fists into the lining of his thighs. What was he doing out here? He should be in there, seeing what those strangers were doing to his Nii-san. He should be with him, holding his hand and telling him that it would be alright, don't be scared, it's alright. _I love you._

He should be telling him over and over and over again how much he loved him. He should never let him forget. Instead he was out here, listening to the sounds that wrapped around his heart like a vice and watching as Hughes paced the dark corridor back and forth, sporadically explaining the details of what they were going to do the next time they caught those terrorists. Alphonse wasn't really listening though, in fact, so lost was he in his world of guilt and grief, he didn't even notice when the man stopped until he felt a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You shouldn't worry yourself too much, Alphonse." The detective said with a small smile on his face. "Roy's the best doctor I know. He's fixed plenty of bullet wounds far worse than this in his life. After all he was a surgeon in the war. That's how we met."

Alphonse wanted to believe him with all his heart, but he couldn't be sure. Not when he was out here and they were in there… He was frantically trying to remember a time when he wasn't beside his brother…he was sure there were many…but the memories were blurred, dark, and unwanted….nothing good ever happened when the Elric's weren't together.

There was a crash from inside the room, and the door burst open revealing one of Dr. Mustang's flustered assistants, a young woman with pinned up red hair and dimples. She looked madly about before settling her emerald green eyes on the boy in the corner, who was now slowly standing to his feet. He bit his lip as the woman hesitantly moved forward and addressed Officer Hughes. "We've stabilized him mostly, but he's lost quite a large amount of blood…we need to mobilize him to the nearest hospital for a transfusion or he might not…" She drifted off at the sight of Alphonse's stricken face. He turned away, knowing that Hughes was running through the same thoughts and calculations as he was at that moment.

The nearest hospital was not very far at all, but he and his brother had managed to avoid such places ever since they came to this world for the final time, and for good reason too. They had learned early that compared to the natives of this dimension their physical and chemical structure was remarkably distinct [a product, perhaps of their journeys through the gate], which proved useful in many ways to their new occupation… seeing as they were a great deal more, agile, durable, and significantly stronger then the criminals they fought, but in the essence of equivalent exchange they also required more sleep, more food, and many of their physical compositions were much more…_complicated_ than those known to this world.

The chemical make-up of their blood for example, held at least seven more protein alleles in it than the average individual of this parallel dimension.

Even if they got Edward set up in a hospital easy and on time, they'd never find the right blood for him. His body would reject it completely and he would die faster than before…in fact, the only blood that would work… "Can you do it here?" Both adults turned towards the boy who spoke with startled and questioning gazes. Alphonse's expression was calm, calculating, and determined as he walked with them to the edge of the room's doorway. "I meant, do you have the means to do a transfusion here, the equipment?" He continued, watching as comprehension filled their eyes. The woman nodded, glancing only a moment at Hughes, who signaled onwards, and entering the room at a quick pace. Before they could follow, the young boy felt a firm hand grasp him and he turned, gazing up at the stern green eyes of Officer Hughes. "Are you sure about this Alphonse?" The man asked, concerned. Al merely smiled, "He's my big brother…When it comes to him. I'm always sure." Hughes nodded, a grin plastered on his face as he patted the boys head and they entered.

The flurry of white, dingy coats had slowed down just a bit from before, as two identical men began pulling out large instruments and bulky machines from one of the carts they had dragged in from the hall. _Twins…_Alphonse mused sadly, that would mean the men were brothers, and very close too, if they both took on the same career and were willing to work together like this. The boy smiled weakly and turned to his precious brother, moving as subtly but as quickly as his feet would let him to stand by his side. There was a tall and pretty dark haired nurse on the other end of the large bed, placing a wet cloth meticulously over Edward's brow. She turned and smiled gently at the younger boy. "Don't worry." She said, noticing the boys' discomfort. "It's natural for him to get a light fever. It helps to prevent infection as long as it doesn't get too high he'll be fine." Unlike the previous one, this nurse had an almost calming nature to her. Perhaps it had to do with the confidence radiating off of her or the way she spoke directly to him, but Alphonse felt her presence soothing, especially when she leaned forward and pulled his hand to gently place it over Edwards. "I'm sure it would go down faster if you held on to him while the doctor gets you set up. It's always better to have good thoughts around." The woman smiled one last time at the boy and left to help the others as Alphonse turned his gaze to his brother.

There was light shade of rosette brushing the elder boys still too pale cheeks and a thin layer of sweat covered him as he panted, but the pain didn't seem as immense as before and Alphonse didn't feel as anxious watching his brother sleep like that. _Everything will be fine…it's going to be okay_… "Nii-san…"He whispered brushing away a few golden strands and pushing the cloth back in place as it slipped. "…I'm right here."

"Alphonse, are you ready?" asked Dr. Mustang with an all too familiar smirk, he guided the young boy to the other side of the bed, and instructed him to pull the sleeve up his right arm. Alphonse watched warily as the man wiped a spot of his skin clean and then slowly inserted the long needle into a vein. He looked away, thoroughly nervous even though he was not an aichmophobe like Edward. Upon noticing the various IV's protruding from his brother, he was suddenly; irrevocably glad the elder boy was unconscious. "…We have to account for the fact that your brother is a double amputee, so you may feel a bit strange, but it will be alright…" The doctor was talking to him but Alphonse was only really hearing every other word, a wave of drowsiness hitting him as he felt strong hands help him lay down. He turned his face slightly to watch the steady rise and fall of his brothers' chest instead of the dark red liquid coursing through the plastic tubes and found himself not wanting to sleep, but not having much of a choice in the matter as his heavy eyelids slowly slid shut of their own accord…and soon he was dead to the world…

Roy stared intently at the two slumbering teens, smiling to himself as the younger boy unconsciously moved closer to the elder, as if even in sleep needing to know he was there. "...they must be close." He stated briskly to his now quietly grinning companion. Hughes turned a quirk eyebrow at his friend and shook his head. "Who could blame them after all they've been through together. Abandonment, death, joining a fierce military, and hopping across time and space…we'd be that close too. Especially, if we were all we had." The doctor inhaled deeply and threw his arms to his side in a huff. "You have some serious explaining to do Matthew." He said turning to face the other man with a dark glare. "I wouldn't know where to start." The officer returned with a shrug. "I barely understand it all myself. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I wouldn't even be considering the idea the way I do now." Roy bared his teeth in a grimace and muttered briefly to one of his crew as he dragged Hughes from the room and shut the door behind. "You can start at the beginning. Then maybe you can explain to me why that boy lying there with a bullet hole in his gut looks like my son."

Alphonse awoke to the irritating feeling of early sunlight mixed with a sense of someone watching him. He groaned, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand and froze when he noticed the thick medical tape covering his forearm. _What? _Then he remembered, the terrorists, the gunshot, Roy and Hughes and… "Nii-san!" The boy shot up from the bed at light speed, accidently hitting his head on the bed post above him. He groaned again, gripping his cranium as pain shot through his skull. "Ow…that hurt…"

Light laughter filtered through the air and Alphonse turned his gaze to meet his brothers golden stare, bright and beautiful and perfect like it always was. "Hey…you, okay?" Edward asked, playfully entwining his hand in Alphonse's and grinning up at the younger boy. Alphonse swallowed back tears and smiled weakly in return. "Yeah…" He choked out. "Yeah, I'm fine…" Bringing his brother's hand to his face, he leaned his cheek into it and gently wept. His brother fine…he was alive and still here and Alphonse didn't have to be alone…and it was such a horrible feeling being alone, but it was okay, because he wasn't…because Edward was here and everything was okay. _Everything was going to be okay. _"I…" He sobbed, "…I-love you…" Edward simply gazed at him, with a knowing, peaceful smile and the younger boy knew he was loved in return and that no matter what…neither of them would ever forget how much the other cared for them. It was a long, dangerous journey they chose for their lives and there was bound to been plenty more hardships in the future…but together, as always, they'd be okay. Everything would be alright. "Al..?" Edward spoke after a few moments of silence and Alphonse looked to see a sheepish smile forming on the elder boys face. "Yes, Nii-san?" His brother tugged gingerly at the IV's inserted into his arm, shivering slightly. "You think we could get that General bastard look alike of a doc to remove these things? I'm getting goose bumps…oh…and I'm starving. Let's get pancakes." Alphonse laughed, shaking his head. "Nii-san…"

Yes, everything was going to be just fine.

So it's a new FMA AU fanfiction that takes place after Conqueror of Shamballa. I know I shouldn't be posting without updating my other stories but I will soon…I've had technical difficulties. 

In this story Edward, Alphonse and the Hughes move to London and  
>become private detectives. It isn't really a chapter story, more like a<br>collection of one shots set to the different case's they work on. It's really  
>just an excuse for me to write about all the cool Alter! persona's I've<br>create for most of the FMA characters like Roy, Riza, Winry and Envy...

Tell me what you think.


	2. A Note Long Due

I am aware it's probably been a little over a year since I've update any of my stories. I just wanted to tell you all that I've been having some personal issues. I am hoping to update soon but I make no gareentees.

Love you all. If you've still reading, stay sweet.

-Faith.


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